The European Parliament has set out wide-ranging recommendations for the EU's future energy security policy, calling for mandatory emergency action plans in case of gas supply shortages.

The European Parliament adopted by a large majority a report drawn up by Anne Laperrouze (ALDE, FR) on the ‘Second Strategic Energy Review’, which will be on the agenda for the 19-20 March European Council debate on the EU's future energy strategy.

This review calls on the European Commission to propose revising the 2004 Security of gas supply directive before the end of this year. The European Parliament wants this revision to include "mandatory and effective national and EU emergency action plans" providing for:

* A common declaration of an emergency situation,
* The allocation of available supplies and infrastructure capacity among the affected countries,
* Co-ordinated dispatching, and
* The activation of emergency measures in unaffected or less affected states in order to increase the amount of gas available to affected markets.

The European Parliament also wants the EU to develop gas storage with fast-release capacity and recommends that a single European gas grid should be established to link up all EU Member States.

•Date:5th February 2009• Region: UK/Europe •Type: Article •Topic: Power management
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